the longest con
by spnfandom8
Summary: what if Neal Caffrey had a twin? what if only a select few knew about the existence of the twins? what if they haven't seen each other in years? what if Dick Grayson wants to change that? Read to find out.


One-shot

 **AN** Enjoy. :)

"Neal! Are you listening to me Neal?" Peter called from the driver seat of the car

"Sorry Peter, I was just thinking about something else" I lie half-heartedly.

Today is my birthday, which means that it is my brothers as well, this is going to be the 5th time in a row that I haven't been able to see my brother on our birthday.

For our whole lives we were oddly close, even though we didn't actually have all that much in common.

He loved to go on the trapeze with with our parents, while I loved to sit and draw them flying through the air. Our parents didn't mind, even though it was a family business, they supported me when I told them that I was wary of heights and I didn't want to go flying through the air. Even though I was the odd one out in our family, our parents lived in a circus, they knew what it was like to be the odd ones out, so instead of making me feel like the odd one out, they made me feel like the odd one in.

Me and my twin brother were waiting on the ground, watching them as they fell to their deaths, it was the worst night of our lives, but we still had each other.

A few weeks later we were both living with Bruce Wayne in the Manor, and when we found out that Bruce was Batman, Dick immediately jumped on the idea of getting revenge for our parents murder. We helped each other train, and eventually Dick was Robin, when Dick decided that he wanted to help Bruce, I chose to stay behind and give them support from the Manor, Bruce still insisted that I train, that I learn to defend myself. And I took to it the same as Dick, but I still didn't want to go flying through the night with my brother and our guardian, Bruce was actually happier with it that way, he knew that at least one of us was safe at home, and he only had to keep an eye on Dick. Bruce supported my art, he found me teachers and he took me to art openings and galleries, Dick wasn't all that interested so he never came with us.

That is what started off my love for duping people, someone in the media heard that Bruce Wayne was adopting the son of the Flying Graysons, you see, no one ever really noticed me because I was never out on the trapeze with my family, I never was in the spotlight with the rest of them. So they heard that he was taking Dick in, add that with the fact that our varied hobbies made us less inclined to go out places with each other, and the world thought that I didn't exist. When me and Dick found out we thought it was funny, it had been completely accidental up until that point, but once we figured out that no one really knew that I existed? Then we tried our best to keep it that way, we would both go out with Bruce, but never with each other, and when we were in school, we alternated days. I would go every other day, we didn't tell Bruce what we were up to until he found out about it a few years later, and since we were keeping up our grades, A's and A+'s, and with a lot of puppy dog eyes, and begging from us, he let us keep at it.

And while me and Dick didn't share a lot of the same hobbies, that is probably also the thing that made us closer. we were attached at the hip when we were at the manor, we were best friends, we told each other everything and we faced all of our problems together. To say that our other adoptive brother's were shocked when they found out about my existence is an understatement.

Since I had trained with Dick and Bruce, and I still kept up the training, when Dick was injured or out of commission for a while, I would take over his role as Robin and then later as Nightwing. I lacked the overall grace and excitement that Dick had for his job, but I still was a damn good substitute when I was needed.

Take it forward a few years and Dick had moved to Bludhaven and became a cop, and I moved to New York and became a Criminal, we still saw each other at least once a week and we both knew about the others respective career choices. Bruce had found out about my criminal tendencies about a year in, and although he didn't approve, he knew that I wasn't hurting anyone so he also didn't intervene. Dick thought it was hilarious that I, the quiet and overall less troublemaker, of the two of us, became the thief, he actually helped me out on a couple of my heists, just to get a feel for what my new job was. A few times throughout the years we switched places, he took over as Neal Caffrey, and I took over as Dick Grayson. Mozzie had Dick figured out in about a week and was a little pissed that I didn't tell him I had a twin. No one ever figured out that I wasn't Dick though, that could also be because we both played Dick for the majority of our childhoods.

But when I actually got caught by Peter, our fun and games were over, I was in prison and we couldn't see each other anymore, not without being found out, and this was a con we had been playing on the world since we were kids, we weren't going to give that up anytime soon, we both saw that as our biggest accomplishment yet.

When I finally did get out of prison, there was always the threat that someone would find out about us, so we haven't risked it, but we have been talking on the phone and via facetime, it just isn't the same, I miss my brother.

So this is going to be the 5th year that I won't get to celebrate with my twin, not to mention that I haven't seen the rest of my family, but missing my twin is hitting me the hardest.

I'm pulled out of my memories by Peter swatting the back of my head, I jump and look at him disbelievingly.

"What was that for?" I question indignantly

"Neal you spaced out for the entire car ride to the office, I was trying to tell you that we have a big case, it is for someone important, something was stolen from him and he wants us to retrieve it. You spaced out on the entire briefing, I was calling your name for 30 seconds before I swatted you" he tells me, his voice on the fence between pissed and concerned.

"Sorry Peter, I was just, nevermind, I was just tired" I tell him truthfully, I didn't sleep all that much last night.

He looks at me suspiciously for a moment before relenting and getting out of the car, prompting me to follow, I really am tired so I just stand quietly in the elevator with Peter, who thankfully doesn't try to start a conversation with me.

As we get up to the office I hang my coat up and deposit my fedora on my desk before following Peter up the stairs to the conference room.

As we walk to the open door of the conference room I look first to Diana and Jones who are standing behind the table looking quite confused, before shifting my eyes to the man next to them. Fuck, it's Bruce, with a shit eating grin on his face.

"Happy Birthday Neal" Bruce says as I recover from my shock and walk the rest of the way into the room.

I let out a shriek as someone jumps on me from behind, laughing the whole time,

"JESUS FUCK Dick, you scared the shit out of me" I exclaim as I throw him off of my back

"Happy birthday little bro" he says from his newly acquired position on the floor

"I'm only four minutes younger than you, asshole" I tell him as I grin and lean down to help him off the ground

"Four minutes is all that I need to be your big brother" he tells me smugly

I just ignore his comment and dart forward to grab in a bone crushing hug,

"Shit, I missed you too Neal" he tells me as he hugs me back

"I guess i'm just chopped liver then, huh?" I hear B question from a few feet away

I quickly extract myself from my current hug so that I can turn and barrel into B

"Oh, fuck, you got to big for that a long fucking time ago" B grunts as I make impact

"Ha, you know you love my hugs" I tell him as I give him one last squeeze before letting go

"What, is going on?" Peter asks

"I have no idea, Bruce Wayne showed up for his appointment and he brought his son with him, who looks exactly like Neal by the way, they showed up a few minutes before you guys and Dick immediately went to hide behind the door, Mr. Wayne told us to leave him alone and then you guys showed up" Diana told him

"What about the longest con?" I ask Dick, using the name we had come up with for it

"Fuck it, it's been 5 years since i've seen my twin, I fucking missed you and I know you missed me too." Dick said as he slung an arm around my shoulders, I did the same to him

"Wait wait wait, twins? You guys are twins? Neal explain" Peter orders

So I do, I tell them about how the longest con started in the first place, and I told them how we kept it up all those years, I told them about my real past, my parents and then being taken in by Bruce. And it was a huge relief, because while I hadn't ever planned on telling them about my past or about my family, it felt really fucking good to not have to lie to them anymore.

When I was finished telling the story, with the help of Dick and B, they all had questions.

"Wait, how old are you really?" Diana asked

"Well, I was 17 when I moved to New York, me and Dick graduated early, I wasn't on your radar for a year, you chased me for 3, 5 years since i've seen Dick, that makes us, 26 today" I answer, I knew that today was our birthday, I had just forgotten how old we were.

"Did you guys ever switch places after you graduated from school?" Peter asks

"Oh, um, yeah we both played Dick Grayson about the same amount of time while we lived with B, and then obviously in school, and yeah a few times while you were looking for me we might have switched places" I tell him sheepishly

"So I was chasing Dick sometimes and you were…?" Peter asks

"Um, I was, at Dick's workplace?" I say

"Neal, elaborate" Peter demands

"Well, Dick was a cop in Bludhaven, so we switched sometimes and I was a cop and he was a criminal" I blurt out

I see the stunned faces of my coworkers and can't help but laugh a little, which sets Dick off, which sets B off, and now the three of us are laughing at the frozen faces of my friends.

"You were a cop?" Jones asks disbelievingly

"Yeah, we usually only switched places for a few weeks at a time though, and no one ever found us out, well, Mozzie figured Dick out in the first week of our first switch, but that should have been expected" I tell them

"Have you guys ever switched while you were working here Neal?" Peter asks seriously

"No, I haven't actually seen Dick in 5 years, when I got arrested we decided that it was better for us to stay apart, so we haven't done a switch in a few years" I tell him truthfully

He sighs in relief "the three of you are coming to dinner tonight, we can discuss this more then, until then, Neal we have actual work to do" Peter tells me

I deflate, disappointed that I won't be able to spend time with my brother and B until tonight, but I let it go and say my goodbyes, sharing a knowing look with Dick, we are going to have some fun tonight.

 **** Time skip after work ****

I straighten Dicks tie as he does the same for me, then we look each other over and nod our heads in approval. We had found 2 identical suits after work that day and then went to get our hair trimmed the same way, just like we used to.

When we were both dressed in the exact same suits with the exact same hats and our hair styled the exact same way, we looked each other over for any flaws and then grinned at each other, we looked identical, we were ready to take on, and confuse, the world together.

"Hello, I'm Neal Caffrey" Dick says with the perfect imitation of my trademark grin

"Nice to meet you, i'm Dick Grayson" I greet back with his signature smirk

We both let out laughs of triumph, we still have it. We can copy each other perfectly, and we have also been known to confuse B a few times, although he usually has us figured out, we are hoping that it has been so long that he is out of practice, but we aren't. Sometimes when I was doing a job that required a cover, I would base my personality off of Dicks, and Dick told me that he does the same when he goes places that no one knows him at, we have been practicing and staying sharp these last few years, B hasn't.

B had a meeting in his NY office that he had to finish up before he could make it to dinner tonight, so he left the 2 of us to our own devices and said that he would meet us there. When we get outside I slide into the driver seat of Dick's car, just to throw them off a little more. When we pull up outside of Peter's house, me and Dick grin at each other one last time before striding to the door, sauntering in the exact same way.

We make sure to stand next to each other after I ring the bell and I see Peter roll his eyes and sigh like he knew this was coming when he answered the door

"Hello Peter" we greet in sync

"Hello boys" he greets, not even trying to tell us apart

Once we are inside I take over my role and step up to Peter

"I didn't have the chance to introduce myself earlier, i'm Dick Grayson" I say, impersonating the slight Gotham accent that Dick has

Then Dick steps forward

"You already know who I am Peter" he says impersonating the slight NY accent that I had developed over the last couple years living here

"Hello El, thank you for having us over for dinner" Dick says as he hands her the bottle of wine, she is meanwhile looking back and forth between us, both of them clearly buying our acts

She soon gets over the surprise of us being dressed the exact same way and walks over to me

"Hello, you must be Dick, it's a pleasure to meet you" she says nicely

"The pleasure is all mine" I say back as I shake her hand

A few minutes later and the four of us are sitting on the couch laughing about the story I just told about myself, when the doorbell rings, signifying that B is here.

Me and Dick stand up so that we look presentable when he walks into the living room

"Hello B" we say in unison, hoping to throw him off

B walks directly over to me, looks at my face for a moment, and then looks over at Dick.

"Happy Birthday Neal" he says with a smirk as he pats my cheek

The triumphant smirks fall from our faces, we have been bested yet again by the Bat.

"How can you tell" Dick whines

"Your my kids, the last time your act actually worked on me was when I was drunk out of mind, i've been able to tell you apart from the first year you lived with me" he tells us as he sits down next to me on the couch, having already exchanged pleasantries with Peter and El

Who are now sitting across from us, staring accusingly at the 2 of us

"We had to see if we still had it" I defend

"We do" Dick said

"You didn't confuse your father" Peter points out

"Yeah but that has only worked a few times, and he was distracted or drunk when we actually pulled it off, works on everyone else though" I tell them

"And Alfie" Dick points out from next to me

"And Alfie" I agree

The rest of the night goes smoothly, Dick and B tell embarrassing stories from my youth, while I try uselessly to defend myself. After dinner is over I feel like my two lives have finally collided, and it wasn't all that bad. When we leave Peter's B takes us out for ice cream to celebrate our birthday and we end up racing and playing tag across the NY rooftops until the sun decides to spoil our fun.

Dick gets a bed and then deposits it next to mine in my apartment and he doesn't leave for a few months, he went into work as me quite a few times, and it was only around the 8th time that Peter caught on, Peter and El are getting a whole lot better at telling us apart and so are Jones and Diana.

The rest of my brothers plus Alfie and B visited for Christmas and we ended up going over to Peter's on christmas eve.

Overall i'm happier than i've been in a long time, and i'm glad that the longest con is over, it means that my life is whole and full again.

 **AN** thoughts? Good? Bad? Meh? Lemme know what you think. :)


End file.
